The Brooklyn Daily Eagle from Brooklyn, New York • Page 40

12 H'' "bjcA name of Cook's Addition to Denver. While nominally a portion of the city of Denver this addition lies several miles from the business center and is as yet inhabited principally by the social prairie dog and the stray cow and is utterly devoid of vegetation other than the cactus and the yucca. But it has a few residents more bipedal than those mentioned and for their accommodation a gray horse and a world worn bobtail car labor each day up and down a remarkably long hill over which the car tracks drag their weary lengths smothered in dust and bordered by prairie grass. The existence of the gray horse is one of unfulfilled endeavor and wasted ambition. Alighting from the electric trolley car that brings him from the city proper the homing resident finds awaiting him an undersized horse car that exhibits unmistakable evidences of old age.

Over its five dusty windows runs the startling legend, "Union one of fate's ironies, this, since the car has for years past dragged out an uneventful existence far removed from the Union depot and the city's rush and roar. At the front of the car, looking over its shoulders, as though estimating the amount of human freight that it is to transfer to the top of the hill, stands the gray horse. A very pathetic looking steed it is, well fed and sleek if none too carefully groomed never overworked, never beaten much; but expressing with its sad eyes a touching story of a wasted and monotonous life. As the number of passengers rarely exceeds half a dozen it is the custom of the entire population of the car to occupy the front platform with the driver and there to remark on the weather, the politics and the gray horse. When it hears itself discussed the gray horse wags one or both ears fretfully, as though trying to say: "Oh, I know I look well and am well treated, but how would you like to spend your life hauling a bobtail car up a hill and never arriving anywhere?" The gray horse starts off at an ambitious trot, much too good to last.

Before the distance to the summit is half traversed the pace has relapsed into a dejected crawl. From that time forward until the destination is reached life on the bobtail car is flat, stale and unprofitable. The scenery is not diversified to any extent and were it not for the infrequent stops the residents of Cook's Addition would walk up the hill rather than undergo the liability of becoming victims of melancholia. The summit is gained at last amid sighs of relief in which the gray horse joins. For a short distance on the level above he continues, evidently to make assurance' doubly sure and not to allow the car a chance to slide back down the slope without him.

Then he stops abruptly of his own accord and turns as far around as the traces will permit and patiently waits to be released leased. The car is speedily emptied of all remaining passengers and then a wonderful thing happens. The gray horse, unprompted, steps gingerly up and on to the front platform. There is a queer air of offended dignity about the action as though he is well aware of the ridiculous figure he cuts, and the nervous twitching of his ears says as loudly as words themselves: "Now, please don't laugh." One end of the platform is boarded off to restrain the gray horse from stepping off and down to crop the scanty herbage. The driver walks to the other end of the car, swings off the brake, and the return journey begins.

The car is drawing the horse; nature is outraged; and the Brooklyn traveler inside is perhaps reminded of the adage regarding putting the cart before the horse. The return is a trifle more exhilarating than the pilgrimage up the hill. Gravitation is a faster steed than the gray, and the bottom is soon reached. The car that draws the horse gradually ceases motion and the horse that draws the car backs ungracefully off the platform, shakes himself as if to free himself of the odium forced upon him and walks to his station. By this time another electric from the city has emptied its small cargo in the dust and the gray horse looks it over, silently estimates its combined weight, and then climbs again to the top of the hill only to be brought igno miniously down without having accomplished any more than was already accomplished two years ago.

GUIDE MAP, SHOWING COMPARATIVE SIZE AND LOCATION OF BROOKLYN PARKS. THE HORSE RTDES DOWN After Hauling His Load of Passengers to the Top of Cook's Addition Hill Unique Rapid Transit bill. Probably, however, the charter of the Greater New York legislates the present commission out of office and confers upon the park department of the new city the duty of carrying forward the enterprise. In that event I can promise that when the park department is making up future requisitions for the board of estimate there will be one persistent citizen of the borough of Brooklyn to stand over the park commissioner and urge large sums for the carrying on of this particular work ami when that work is included in the requis Two interested travelers from Brooklyn recently witnessed an unusual and novel spectacle in that quaint though somewhat slow and sedate locality in Colorado which goes by the the proper eastern 'boundary of the driveway; then there is a sidewalk ample for the local use; outside that is a tree planting space six feet wide, which will be first excavated and then filled in with rich soil; and west of that the roadway, which at first will have to suffice for bicycles, for drivers and for equestrians'. The space under the sidewalk will be chosen for gas pipes, electric pipes, water pipes and sewers, so as to avoid the disagreeable and costly necessity of tearing up the roadway when connections' or repairs have to be made.

We hope to pre vide electric lighting, and we are all or a feeling that the grea't arc light system is not suitable. That Is very bright in one place and very dark in others. Our view is a great many lights thoroughly distributed. We think electricity necessary here because of the difficulty of getting good gas lights that will withstand the wind. Work under the present contract begins at Sixty ninth street and extends as far as Third avenue.

Beyond that and into the little park we hope to carry the work very soon, as the settlement of our dispute with the Nassau Railroad company will enable us to get possession of that section and to finish it without fear of the subsequent encroachment of tracks. If it does not shortly appear practicable to do this we shall for the present abandon that share of the project and spend the amount of money we have available in extending and improving the northern end of the road from Sixty ninth street in front of the Tracy and Bliss places and around, perhaps, as far as First avenue. It is due to my associates, who have given so much time and thought and indeed money in this enterprise, to remind the public that we arc all serving without any compensation whatever except such appreciation of our fellow citizens as may be bestowed upon us. A bill has been introduced by Dr. Parshall to legislate us out of office and allow the appointment of three citizens in our places.

I 2 BmswsmsmBamssjxssmmtrTSim vt mmm. ASCENT. itions made upon the finance board of the greater city there shall be at least one individual ready to fight vigorously for the ap Copyright. 18U5. by Harper Brotlit A GLIMPSE OF THE CYCLE PATH.

cannot say how much chance such a measure may have of enactment, but I notice Mr. Sperry, representing the mayor anil the corporation counsel, objects to the passage of the proval of the requisition. I am sure, too, that I may say as much for all my associates on the commission. ELIJAH R. KENNEDY.

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